Advocates say California spends too much money on mental health conferences and publicity campaigns and too little on actual treatment. Rose King is with the advocacy group Mental Illness Facts.

“They claim to be providing inspiration to people to seek out mental health treatment,” says King. “However, if a person was prompted by their urging, they would be completely in despair, when they found that they may have to wait four months to see a doctor.”

King says the state’s jails and emergency rooms are overburdened with mentally ill people whose conditions could be controlled with proper treatment.

Advocates say mental health deserves the same systems of standards and accountability as other medical services.

Public health officials say psychological evaluations, consultations and counseling services are included under Covered California.

Max covers the state capital, bringing more than a decade of experience in print and public radio, including reporting for KPFA, KQED and KALW. He traces his news roots to working on his his high school newspaper. Read Full Bio